pardon the poor image quality, but this is one of my all-time favorite shots

I have rebellious chi, is what I learned from my very first acupuncture appointment.

You see, my next door neighbor is the greatest, and when he found out that I wasn’t feeling so well, he insisted that I see his acupuncturist. Being the no-nonsense kind of guy that he is, I was surprised by his enthusiasm for alternative medicine, and I took his recommendation to heart.

I think I told the good doctor that I was nervous at least a half-dozen times during our initial consultation. Needles aren’t really my thing. Except tattoo needles, but that is an entirely different subject.

As it turns out, acupuncture is exactly what I thought: little needles and being still. What I wasn’t expecting, though, was the almost immediate sense of relaxation that resulted. I’ll admit that I have a long way to go before I’m able to fully surrender to the experience – I talked myself out of ringing the bell to call for assistance on three occasions – and I only feel slightly foolish for allowing a silly thing like fear keep me from something that is truly beneficial in maintaining equilibrium.

Today was the first time in over two weeks that I didn’t taken a nap. Not that I didn’t want to take a nap, napping happens to be one of my signature talents, but that I didn’t need to take a nap. A small miracle, I say.

My assignment for the week is to spend more time meditating, in an effort to harness my individual energy.

And by “spend more time” of course I mean “start”.